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WHAT IS THE SCULPTURE PARK?
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is actually a 500-acre country estate (Bretton Estate if you’re wondering), with sculptures scattered throughout the landscape. The park is split into eight sections, which are split according to their position rather than any similarity ... Read review
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Advantages: beautiful surroundings, good free information given out Disadvantages: some of the sculptures are poor, the gallery
...SCULPTURE PARK?
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is actually a 500-acre country estate (Bretton Estate if you’re wondering), with sculptures scattered throughout the landscape. The park is split into eight sections, which are split according to their position rather than any similarity between sculpture styles (as far as I can tell), with the exception of the Country Park Zone, which is exclusively Henry Moore. It always seemed a bizarre idea ... ...it, because it’s definitely worth a visit.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
It’s very easy to find the park by car. As long as you get on the M1, you can’t go wrong, as it’s just off junction 38 (A637) – simply come off at that junction, and follow the brown signs.
If you were planning on using public transport, it may be more awkward to find. The nearest train station is Wakefield Westgate, and then you’ll need to ... more
When thinking about writing this review, I wasn’t sure whether I should bother, as the other review on here is so good it even has a diamond. However, I decided to go ahead and give my view of the Sculpture Park, as I’ll probably end up focusing on different aspects.
WHAT IS THE SCULPTURE PARK?
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is actually a 500-acre country estate (Bretton Estate if you’re wondering), with sculptures scattered throughout the landscape. The park is split into eight sections, which are split according to their position rather than any similarity between sculpture styles (as far as I can tell), with the exception of the Country Park Zone, which is exclusively Henry Moore. It always seemed a bizarre idea to me until I actually went there, so bear with it, because it’s definitely worth a visit.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
It’s very easy to find the park by car. As long as you get on the M1, you can’t go wrong, as it’s just off junction 38 (A637) – simply come off at that junction, and follow the brown signs.
If you were planning on using public transport, it may be more awkward to find. The nearest train station is Wakefield Westgate, and then you’ll need to find a way to get to the park – a taxi is going to cost about £10 each way, as it’s not that close, and the bus doesn’t drop you off at the visitor centre. On the plus side, there is a shuttle bus that will take you from the information kiosk nearest the bus stop to the visitor centre, and this is free.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET IN?
Amazingly, it’s free! Most other country houses with galleries I’ve visited since becoming obsessed with walking (having always been a lover of art) usually cost about £5 to £10 just to get in – the Sculpture Park lets you look at over 40 works of art at the same time as having a good amble for nothing!
WHAT’S THE CAR PARKING LIKE?
The only cost is for the car parking, at £3 a day, with blue badge holders parking for free. Bearing in mind that the ticket you buy can be used in any of the car parks (except the Longside gallery car park which is strictly for blue badge holders only) this represents good value for money.
There are three car parks, in good positions – one near the visitor centre, one near the start of the ‘Access Trail’ and one near the country park entrance, which is ideal for those wanting to use the picnic area (more later). As I said, the Longside parking is just for blue badge holders, and rightly so, as anyone else can easily walk it, or use the shuttle bus provided. I can’t imagine the car parks ever being too full, as I went during the school holidays on a sunny day, when it was swarming with people, and there was ample parking.
WHAT IS THE ACCESS LIKE FOR THE DISABLED?
As stated, the car parking is free for blue badge holders, and they’ve provided good parking at both sites that are accessible – the gallery and the ‘Access Trail’. I’ve been to the park on two occasions, once with Ian and once without, and I have to say I got a lot more out of the park being able to hike through it alone. That’s not to say the Access Trail isn’t decent enough, it’s just it doesn’t give a good idea of the immense grandeur of the rest of the park, as it’s really just a pathway through a wooded area with a lot of sculptures very close together.
However, they do provide electrical scooters for those who have problems walking a long way, and I spoke to one lady using one. She said she found it invaluable, as she also found the Access Trail limited, especially as some of the pathways are very steep. I would personally recommend that those with limited mobility with a spare hour should just visit the Access Trail, and those more adventurous types with the ability to transfer to a scooter should try it that way. However, bear in mind that it’s best to ring ahead and book a scooter.
Final quick access point, as it was brought up in the comments - you COULD get a wheelchair around the whole park in theory, but it would be very hard going if you were pushing yourself or someone else, and I'm not sure whether an electric wheelchair would put up with the many bumps and squishy patches.
IS IT A GOOD PLACE TO TAKE CHILDREN?
It seemed to be very popular with children on the day I went. The main area near the visitor centre seems ideal for children, as there are vast areas of grass for running around on, as well as some of the more child friendly sculptures – Anthony Carp’s ‘Promenade’ in particular was the centre of a massive game of Rounders, with children who were ‘out’ playing amongst the huge forms.
Having said that, the Sculpture Park has its own code, the YSP code – they ask that you do not touch or sit on sculptures, and that you keep your children safe. The fact you can’t play ball games, fly kites, climb trees, roller skate, skateboard and so on, means that if you just fancy a picnic, and keeping the children occupied, and you aren’t bothered about the sculptures, you might be better off going somewhere else.
IS THERE SOMEWHERE TO EAT AND BUY DRINKS?
There is a café inside the main visitor centre, which serves hot food from 11 am to 3 pm, as well as sandwiches and hot and cold drinks. There are two information kiosks, which also both sell cold drinks and some snacks – these are a godsend, as I ran out of water halfway round.
I didn’t try the café I’m afraid to say, as I wasn’t hungry when I went to the visitor centre, and on the way back it was teaming with people, and I felt a bit claustrophobic. The view seemed wonderful, though, as the balcony looks out over the park, and you can see some of the bigger sculptures (if you’re lucky enough to get a window seat).
WHAT ABOUT IF I WANT TO TAKE MY OWN FOOD?
I took a snack to eat on my way round, but the park are very particular where you eat your food, and rightly so. There are designate picnic areas, one in the country park near the information kiosk, and one in the Driveside area. These are clearly marked on the map, and are very easy to find. The one where I ate was deserted, but I walked past the Driveside area, and it was packed out. There are plenty of litterbins, and the YSP code asks that people don’t leave litter, so the whole place really is spotless. The only gripe I had was that I saw someone who worked at the park walk past a group of 30 year old men drinking cans of cider in the middle of the country park area, and he didn’t tell them to move to the picnic site (or out of the park completely) – I thought they were bringing down the tone of the place personally.
WHAT ELSE WILL I HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON?
There is also a gift shop, with books about the artists, as well as those usual things they have in gift shops for children to moan at their parents for – keyrings, rubbers, pencils and so on. I actually preferred the little glass cases of locally produced crafts outside the shop, as there were some stunning pieces of jewellery, and, save me from myself, handbags.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO VISIT?
The YSP have helpfully printed approximate walking times for each area on their map. It tells you which areas to visit if you have different amounts of time to spend there – of course this all depends on how fast you walk and how long you look at things, but I must say, I spent 3 hours there following their 3 hour walk guide, so I’d say it’s pretty accurate for someone walking at an average pace, looking at each sculpture for a minimal amount of time. The map also tells you how sloped each area is, so you can decide for yourself if you don’t fancy following their guide.
It would be easy to spend a whole day here, if you bought a picnic, and walked around the whole site, or you could just spend half an hour wandering around the bit nearest to the car park you decided to park in; the choice really is up to you.
WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?
It would be impossible to list all the sculptures you can see, partly because they change periodically, but mostly because there are so many of them. The map handily points out the position of seven of the sculptures, but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s all there are. If you explore each area of the park, there are loads to see.
Gardens Zone – accessible from the visitor centre; includes some galleries, and beautifully landscaped garden area.
Hillside Zone – after the gardens; includes Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Family of Man’ and Jonathon Borofsky’s ‘Molecule Man 1+1+1’.
Driveside Zone – a few sculptures, but mainly an area for picnicking, playing on the grass, going to the toilet (in the proper blocks provided rather than on the grass!) and so on.
Access Trail Zone – path accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs, with its own car park; these sculptures change periodically, but seem to include fairly modern works.
Lower Park Zone – grassy area where the Access Trail is accessible from; includes Greyworld’s ‘Playground’, which although a sculpture, looks suspiciously like a playground, and I’m imagine it’d be hard to keep children off it. Also includes Camelia House, which I only saw from the outside, and didn’t go in, as I thought it was out of bounds (the University of Leeds has a campus in the middle of the park, and I thought it was part of that!).
Lakeside Zone – grassy area on the edge of the lake, and what I would consider the boundary of the part of the park where most people visit. Mansion House is visible, and it includes Anthony Caro’s ‘Promenade’ and Sol LeWitt’s ‘123454321’.
Longside Zone – massive area you come to after crossing the lake; includes a path to the gallery, as well as Anthony Gormley’s ‘One and Other’ (at the entrance to the bridge) and Serge Spitzer’s ‘Untitled’ (near the quarry).
Country Park Zone – huge area, which is usually swarming with livestock. About fifteen Henry Moore sculptures, scattered throughout, with gorgeous views, and a good walking path.
WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF THE WORKS LIKE?
I’m not going to lie, some of them are rubbish. I’m not one of those people who moan about modern art either; I did art at A level, specialising in Dada-ism and Pop Art for my thesis. So, what I’m trying to say, without sounding like a snob, is that I know a bit about art, I like art that a lot of other people tend to think is pointless, and even I didn’t like some of it.
I was particularly disappointed by ‘Untitled’, as I had to ask someone where it was, and then realised I’d walked past it thinking it was a rusting water tower. Similarly, ‘123454321’ looked like a pile of bricks. I did enjoy all the Henry Moore sculptures – they just seemed so in tune with the landscape, they almost looked as if they’d grown there. There were also a couple of beautiful animal sculptures in the Access Trail that I spent a long time looking at – there are pictures of them below.
WHAT IS THE GALLERY LIKE?
Longside gallery is 2 km from the visitor centre, with two different walking routes to get there, as well as a shuttle bus service. I spent a good hour walking through the park to get to the gallery, as I decided it was a nice day and getting the bus would be lazy. I went the long way, which meant I scrambled up a huge set of wooden steps cut into the side of a hill, clambered over tree roots, and generally got very hot and tired.
It totally wasn’t worth it. The Winter/Hörbelt exhibition, which runs until October 31st, wasn’t my sort of thing, and it was a small exhibition for such a big gallery. The gallery itself felt like a forgotten outcrop of the park, with one solitary worker and no toilets. For a park which signposts a walking route to the gallery, you’d think they’d provide somewhere to go to the toilet, or even to buy a drink, but all you could buy was a book about Winter/Hörbelt, or donate some money to the gallery. I left quickly, and in disgust.
ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL EVENTS OR EXHIBITIONS?
At the minute, the park has an event called ‘circlesthroughthepath’, which is part of Alec Finlay’s residency at the park. Instructions for the walk are available in a free leaflet from the YSP Centre. Along the walk you find seven 'letterboxes’ containing rubber stamps and ink, each with a circle poem to stamp into the leaflet. The terrain is rough, so you need to wear proper walking shoes. I missed out on this, and plan to go back to the park to have a go at it before the weather gets too bad. There are also various study days available, at about £20 per day. You need to book in advance for these by ringing 01924 830642. The next one is on September 28th 2004, and is on architecture. Also coming up is The Big Draw day, which costs £1 to enter, and consists of family activities. There is more information on these events on their website.
IS IT EASY TO GET LOST?
In a word, yes – luckily, there are free maps on offer, which I think are essential for enjoying the park, but even if you do follow the map, and the signs (if they haven’t been knocked down), it’s such an enormous sprawling park it’s impossible to feel like you know exactly where you are all the time.
If you stick to not going over the bridge, then it’s harder to lose your way, as there are so many people and sculptures around, and it’s well signposted. However, the Longside Zone has fewer works, and not so many people choose to wander through it, so it’s very easy to feel like you’ve wandered into an out of bounds area, or worse still, left the park altogether. I quite liked this feeling of being alone, and the sight of a sculpture rearing over a hill made me want to keep on walking.
CAN I TAKE MY DOG FOR A WALK THERE?
You can indeed, but only in certain areas. The map clearly shows where dogs are allowed and forbidden, and even has a dog-walking route. If you’re scared of dogs, though, don’t worry about it being overrun with them; I only saw two in the space of three hours. The YSP code asks that dogs be kept on a lead at all times, and that owners put any dog mess into the bins provided – I didn’t see any dog mess anywhere, and to be honest sheep and cow poo was more evident.
SHEEP AND COWS?
Yes, as I wandered through the Country Park Zone, I met a herd of sheep wandering amongst the Moores, leaning against their marble mountings to escape the intense heat (see photo below). I also walked back from the gallery along the easy path, which took me through a field, full of those gorgeous black and white patterned cows, which looked like they’d walked straight off an Early Learning Centre mobile.
IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, WHAT’S WRONG WITH IT?
I can honestly say, the only problem I had with the whole place was the gallery – I thought it was a poor place to have a walking route to, as it didn’t really seem worth it once I’d got there. However, I’m sure if the works of art within it had been to my taste, I would have thought it was amazing. All it really needs is somewhere to have a drink and go to the toilet, as well as some decent art, and it’d make the whole park perfect.
IS THERE A WAY TO SUPPORT THE PARK?
You can become a Friend of the YSP by paying an amount between £10 and £200, depending on what level of commitment you’d like. A single ‘friendship’ is £17 per annum, and as this includes discounts in the shop and café, as well as the opportunity to buy a £10 parking space that lasts a whole year, it could be a real money saver if you went there just four times a year. You can also buy a family friendship for £30, but I’m not really sure how that will make any difference. More details are available on the website.
SO, DO YOU RECOMMEND IT THEN?
I’m not one to dish out praise where it’s not due, but I found the park a perfect place – a good place to walk, with some beautiful vistas, as well as an ever-changing landscape of artwork from different eras. I’d recommend it highly to anyone interested in art, or walking, but especially anyone interested in both. Being able to walk over a bridge in the middle of a wood, and spy an Anthony Gormley statue high in the treetops, is a moment I won’t forget for a while. Then again, neither is the sight of two sheep leaning against a Henry Moore.
Advantages: You don't have to be 'arty' and it doesn't cost a fortune Disadvantages: The time will fly, one visit just isn't enough
...review.
We only discovered Yorkshire Sculpture Park last year and have already been back several times. This wonderful place has so much to offer, it's hard to know where to begin. It's described on the map guide (which is free, by the way) as '500 acres of historic landscape and international sculpture,' which sounds pretty dry to me and certainly doesn't do it justice. So I'll tell you what I think it is: it's a multi-sensory treasure that uplifts ... ...get there*
By car. Yorkshire Sculpture Park is situated on the beautiful Bretton Estate near Wakefield, just a mile from Junction 39 of the M1. The main entrance is off the A637 and is clearly signposted from the motorway. Public transport. You can go by train to Wakefield Westgate station, and then take a taxi or bus to the Park. Kettlethorpe Cars charge £21 for a return trip; you can book online at www.kettlethorpecars.co.uk or by phone on 07860 ...
battiest 16.07.2003 (03.11.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Advantages: Good exhibits, easy to get to Disadvantages: None
...went to visit friends in Yorkshire in the summer we stopped of at the Yorkshire sculpture park. We have meant to visit before, but somehow never have.
This park was founded 1977 at, West Bretton, Wakefield. Originally a large house on a parkland of some 500 acres This Park is very easy to get to as it is only one mile from junction 38 of the M1. There was quite a lot of parking which costs £2.00 entrance to the park itself is free.
We got there ... ...you are interested in the Yorkshire sculpture park go to http://www.ysp.co.uk/view.aspx?id=3. Where there is information on what's going on currently I copied the opening times from the website for you. Open daily winter 2008. Closed 23, 24+25 December. Grounds, Centre + shop 10-5
Restaurant 10-4
(Hot food served) 11.30-3
Indoor Galleries 10-4 during exhibitions
Longside Gallery Closed Car park locked 5.30 ...
mumsymary 24.11.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Erm...none, unless you like Burger King (which I doubt anyone with a sense of taste does).
You certainly are not spoilt for choice - the hardest will proberly be: should we go hungry or risk food poisoning with the Double Cheeseburger?, Cert (*)
